


Too Much To Ask

by SophiexHorayne



Series: Flicker-Niam [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Flicker-Niam, M/M, one direction - Freeform, too much to ask
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2019-01-20 10:20:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12430752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiexHorayne/pseuds/SophiexHorayne
Summary: In which Niall misses the boy he loves most and struggles to sleep as his shadow lies lonely on the wall beside him.





	Too Much To Ask

It's late, dark, rainy and cold outside. The amber glaze from a streetlight floods in through Niall's window. He's struggling to sleep. Between his fingers he fumbles about with his phone, turning it around and around, counting the turns, debating. Debating if he should text.

It has been a year now. A year since Liam did exactly what Niall had hoped, begged, prayed he would not do. A year since Liam left.

Of course Niall tries not to think about it, or him, but lately he gets told about him in interviews for his first single, and it makes his head spin and his chest ache. Now all he thinks about is Liam and his smile that makes the sun look dull, and his arms, and the way their shadows would become one on the wall as they slept.

And he wonders if Liam feels like this too. If Liam misses him or if he is hurting but Niall knows he isn't. He knows he's with her, smiling brighter than the sun, laughing, holding her, his shadow shaped with hers, and their soon-to-be child.

He's crying and he wipes his eyes with the hand that holds his phone. For fuck's sake he's still not over Liam fucking Payne and he hates that. Even though he remembers shaking his head in agreement, when Liam asked, with wide, sorry eyes, 'we're just not in love anymore, are we?'. He wanted to believe it.

He wanted to forget about everything.

He wants to forget everything.

But now Liam is all he is thinking of, as his lonely shadow plasters the wall opposite the window. And now everything hurts.

Briskly, he wipes away another tear with the back of his hand and turns on his phone. The light is blinding and brightens the room with a white glare. His fingers find their way to Liam's phone number. It's calling him. Niall waits with baited breath as the phone dials, the sound filling up his lifeless room. It rings for what feels like forever and Niall wants nothing more than to hear Liam’s voice.

And Liam’s voice does appear a moment later. But it doesn’t take Niall long to realise it is the automated message. Frustrated Niall drops the phone beside him and is vaguely aware of movement from across the road. It’s still raining, and the sound is more melancholic, rather than therapeutic, and that frustrates him even more.

Headlights come on from the car in the driveway opposite, piercing Niall’s bedroom with a white, blinding light. There’s probably no point trying to sleep now, but he cannot force himself to get up. Instead he lies with his phone between his fingers, praying Liam will pick up the phone, just this once.

Eventually, Niall turns on his phone once more, finding himself reading he and Liam’s old texts. The most recent ones are short and to the point,

‘ _Congrats on your single’_

_‘Thanks’_

Or

_‘Heard you and her are expecting?’_

_‘Yeah’_

_‘Congrats’_

They leave a pain in Niall’s chest. He scrolls further back where he finds

_‘I’m sorry I can’t make dinner tonight, I’ll make it up to you Ni, I promise.’_

and

_‘I’m sorry about what I said, I didn’t mean it.’_

and one that hurts him most of all

_‘Missed you today Ni. The day is dull without your smile.’_

_‘You’re grossly cheesy’_

_‘Hey! Let me shower you with compliments Ni.’_

_‘Fine’_

Niall wipes a further tear and scrolls back down to the bottom, hurriedly typing out a vague message, written on no sleep and little consideration.

_‘I miss you. And that’s bloody pathetic but I regret agreeing with you, I regret saying we weren’t in love anymore because I still love you and it still hurts. Do you regret it? I have to know.’_

He sends it before he can change his mind and curls up in the bed as the sun rises, sheltering himself from the world for a while.

**Author's Note:**

> There may be a part 3 but here’s part 2 for now. You can find part 1 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11968980


End file.
